romney in the first presidential candidate debate. >> it was not a game changer that the republican challenger was looking for. >> president obama was quick out of the starting blocks, criticizing romney on education, taxes, and his budget plans. >> he is saying that he is going to pay for it by closing loopholes and deductions. the problem is that he has been asked over a hundred times how you would close those deductions and loopholes and he has not been able to identify -- >> the economy took center stage for most of the evening. romney accused obama of a lack of focus in his priorities. >> i do not know how the president could come into office facing 23 million people out of work, rising unemployment, and spend his energy and passion, for two years, fighting for obama care, instead of fighting for jobs for the american people. it has killed jobs. >> the president defended his national health care program and he called romney the wrong man to stave off future financial crises. >> does anybody out there think that the big problem we had is that there was too much oversight and regulation of